Macadamia named &#34;Hidden Valley A16&#34;

ABSTRACT

A new variety of macadamia hybrid integrifolia×tetraphylla has been identified that is particularly characterized by the following combination of characteristics: a low density canopy, a very short flowering period, an elliptical leaf with smooth, lightly undulated and rolled margins, medium pale racemes setting an average of 4.4 nuts per raceme and a nut which is smooth, oval and thin shelled.

The present invention is directed to a new and distinct variety ofMacadamia tree believed to be a cross of Macadamiaintegrifolia×tetraphylla which was identified in a cultivated area.

Among the distinct characterstics of this tree is a combination of: alow density canopy, a very short flowering period, an elliptical leafwhich has a smooth, lightly undulated and rolled margin, medium paleracemes, a set of an average of 4.4 nuts per raceme and a nut which issmooth, oval and thin shelled.

Asexual reproduction of the new variety has been accomplished bygrafting scion stock taken from the original seedling plant onto bothseedling and mature rootstock of various other Macadamia varieties. Thevariety has maintained character regardless of rootstock, and hasexhibited the following characteristics and distinctions true to formthrough succeeding propagations.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a typical tree specimen of the new variety, named "HiddenValley A16".

FIG. 2 shows typical nut clusters of the new variety.

FIG. 3 shows a comparison of the leaves of the new variety with theknown variety `HAES 246`.

FIG. 4 shows a comparison of the kernel and nut of the new variety withthe kernal and nut of the known variety `HAES 246`.

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of the kernel and nut of the new variety.

The variety results from a seedling derived from the open pollination ofa female parent of the variety Renown, itself a hybrid of M.integrifolia×M. tetraphylla. The seedling may have arisen fromself-pollination or from cross-pollination with the nearest possiblepollination parents being of the varieties Own Choice, Keauhou, Kakeaand N.R.G. The male parent is believed unlikely to have been self andbased on an examination of the morphological character of the plant itis believed that the most likely pollen parent is an integrifoliavariety such as Kakea or Keauhou. The cultivar has been successfully andsuccessively grafted onto a variety of rootstock yielding trees ofconsistent character and having good yield characteristics whilemaintaining current kernel quality and beneficial growthcharacteristics. The cultivar was discovered and propagated at HiddenValley Plantations, Beerwah, Queensland, Australia.

The following is a detailed description of the new variety, with colorterminology determined in accordance with the Royal HorticulturalSociety (R.H.S.) Colour Chart number. The characteristics and morphologylisted below represent mean measurements from a minimum of one hundredspecimens from trees grown in Beerwah, Queensland, Australia.

Tree: The tree is erect in habit (slightly more than Kau), moderatelybranching with a low density canopy (less than Keauhou or Own Choice).The leaves are arranged predominantly three leaves per node unlikeRenown which has predominantly four leaves per node and Hidden Valley A4which has an even ratio between three- and four-leaf nodes. The graftedmaterial is vigorous in growth (more than Keauhou but less than HiddenValley A4). The shoots are of medium thickness (thinner than HiddenValley A4) with an average of 44 mm between nodes, with sparsepubescence and weak anthocyanin coloration (R.H.S. 153A) on the newflush. The tree exhibits an average length juvenile phase (slightlyshorter than Keauhou or Kau but longer than Hidden Valley A4).

Leaves: The leaves are elliptical, 2.65 times longer than broad, broaderthan Own Choice or Keauhou with an obtuse angle rounded tip similar toKau. The leaf margins are smooth with 0.01 spines per cm and are lessundulated than Keauhou. The leaf margins are rolled similar to OwnChoice. The young leaves are pale green (R.H.S. 137B), while matureleaves are dark green (R.H.S. 137A), dull surfaced similar to Nutty Glenwith distinctly lighter margins (R.H.S. 15D).

Mean leaf length.--126.59 mm with standard deviation (s.d.) of 15.29.

Mean leaf width.--48.24 mm with s.d. of 5.46.

Mean petiole length.--6.8 mm with s.d. of 1.48.

Flower: The racemes are white, medium in length (shorter than Renown)and sparse on the tree compared to Keauhou. The tree has a shorter andlighter flowering period than Keauhou, which starts earlier and finisheslater. The flowering observed is mid-season and the length of floweringtime is shorter than for any other known variety. The reduced length offlowering time is believed to contribute to an observed lightpost-anthesis nut drop.

Fruit: The husk is relatively thin (thinner than Renown and similar toKeauhou) with a small hilum end point (about the same as Kau) and anunshouldered pedicel also similar to Kau. Husk dehiscence is partly onthe tree (although less so than Nutty Glen or Renown) but is mainly onthe ground. There is an average of 4.4 nuts per raceme. There is nopre-germination on the tree observed (as in Nutty Glen) and a very lowincidence of fruit remaining on the tree or double-embryo fruit ascompared with Own Choice.

Mean fruit length.--40.7 mm with s.d. 2.47 (with pedicel and hilum).

Mean fruit width.--30.95 mm with s.d. 1.76.

Nut: The nuts are oval, 1.04 times longer than wider, less oval and moreeven than Renown but less round than Keauhou. The shell is light brown(R.H.S. 164A) with a smooth surface (smoother than Nutty Glen or Renown,but more coarse than Kau) and a moderate sheen (less than Nutty Glen butmore than Keauhou). The shell is thinner at the micropyle end (thinnerthan Keauhou or Kau, but slightly thicker than Nutty Glen). The sutureis darker than the shell (R.H.S. 165A), while the micropyle is barelyvisible. There is no twin mark evident. There is moderate pale flecking(R.H.S. 164C), more than Keauhou but less than Renown or Nutty Glen.

Mean nut diameter.--24.97 (Range 19-28 mm) with s.d. 1.27.

Mean nut weight.--6.5 gm.

Kernel: The kernel is ovoid, creamy white with very little upper/lowercolor difference and a mean weight of 2.9 gm. The kernel averages about45% of the weight of the nut at 1.5% moisture content. 99% of thekernels have an oil accumulation above 72%.

Yield: Recorded nut yields to date have been estimated in trials to bethe highest of all tested varieties based on the yield of the originaltree. The estimate is based on recording yield per tree divided by treesilhouette area. The original tree's yield estimate is boosted by itsrelatively small size for its age. The nut yield has grownproportionately faster than the tree. Other trees of the variety are tooyoung, as yet, to assist whether this growth characteristic ischaracteristic of the variety or simply of the original tree.

The following Table 1 compares many of the features of Hidden Valley A16(HV A16) with the other varieties Keauhou, Kau, Own Choice, Nutty Glen,and Renown.

    ______________________________________                                        Tree                                                                          ______________________________________                                        Character   HV A16     Keauhou    Kau                                         ______________________________________                                        Growth      erect      spreading  erect                                       habit                                                                         Canopy      low        medium     high                                        density                                                                       Lower       rising     level      strongly                                    branch                            rising                                      attitude                                                                      Vigour,     strong     medium     med-weak                                    grafts                                                                        Shoot       med-thin   medium     med-thin                                    thickness                                                                     Anthocyanin weak       absent     absent                                      colouration RHS                                                                           152A-B                                                            Juvenile    short      medium     long                                        phase                                                                         ______________________________________                                                    Own        Nutty                                                  Character   Choice     Glen       Renown                                      ______________________________________                                        Growth      spread-    semi-      semi-                                       habit       ing        erect      erect                                       Canopy      high       low        medium                                      density                                                                       Lower       droop-     rising     droop-                                      branch      ing                   ing                                         attitude                                                                      Vigour,     strong                strong                                      grafts                                                                        Shoot       thin       med-       medium                                      thickness              thin                                                   Anthocyanin weak                  medium                                      colouration                       weak                                        Juvenile    med-                                                              phase       short                                                             ______________________________________                                    

    ______________________________________                                        LEAF                                                                          ______________________________________                                        Character   HV A16    Keauhou    Kau                                          No. per axis                                                                              3         3          3                                            ______________________________________                                        Shape       Ellipti-  Obovate    Obovate                                                  cal                                                               Tip         obtuse    obtuse     obtuse                                                   rounded   rounded    pointed                                      Length/     2.64      3.25       3.42                                         breadth                                                                       length(mm)  126.59    138.82     125.09                                       Petiole     6.78      10.43      9.24                                         length(mm)                                                                    Marg:Spines 0.12      0.12       0.17                                         /cm                                                                           Mid portion medium    med-strong med-weak                                     Undulation                                                                    Rolling     medium    med-weak   med-weak                                     Mature      dark      dark       dark                                         colour      green     green      green                                        RHS Chart   137A      139A       139A                                         No.                                                                           Immature    green     green      green                                        colour                                                                        RHS Chart   137B      137A-B     141A                                         No.                                                                           Margin      paler     paler      similar                                      colour                                                                        Leaf sheen  low       med-high   med-high                                     Vein colour 153A      152D       152C                                         ______________________________________                                        Character   Own Choice  Nutty Glen Renown                                     No. per axis                                                                              3           4          4                                          ______________________________________                                        Shape       Narrow      Narrow     Broad                                                  Elliptical  Obovate    Lanceolate                                 Tip         obtuse      acute      acute                                                  rounded     either     pointed                                    Length/     2.81        4.53       3.91                                       breadth                                                                       lenght(mm)  128.16      153.40     169.93                                     Petiole     8.65        4.77       7.33                                       length(mm)                                                                    Marg:Spines 0.09        0.90       0.78                                       /cm                                                                           Mid portion medium      weak       weak                                       Undulation                                                                    Rolling     med strong  weak       med-weak                                   Mature      dark        dark       dark                                       colour      green       green      green                                      RHS Chart   139A                   137A                                       No.                                                                           Immature    green       green      green                                      colour                                                                        RHS Chart   137B                   143A                                       No.                                                                           Margin      paler       paler      paler                                      colour                                                                        Leaf sheen  low         medium     low-med                                    Vein colour 152D                   153D                                       ______________________________________                                    

    ______________________________________                                        FLOWERING AND FRUIT                                                           ______________________________________                                        Character   HV A16    Keauhou    Kau                                          ______________________________________                                        Flowering   med-late  medium     v-early                                      time                                                                          Duration    very      medium     long                                                     short                                                             Nuts/raceme 4.4       1.5(est)   2.5(est)                                     Raceme      very      dense      medium                                       density     light                                                             on tree                                                                       Raceme      medium    short      short-med                                    length                                                                        Husk color  137A      137A       137B                                         Husk thick- 3 mm      3 mm       2.7 mm                                       ness                                                                          % nut       12%       11.7%      10.6%                                        diameter                                                                      Hilum       medium-   medium     small                                        endpoint    small                                                             Pedicel     absent    absent                                                  shoulder                                                                      Dehiscence  off-tree  off-tree 1 off-tree                                     (1-5)       1                    1                                            Splitting   off-tree  off-tree 5 off-tree                                     (1-5)       4                    5                                            ______________________________________                                        Character   Own Choice  Nutty Glen Renown                                     ______________________________________                                        Flowering   early       late       med-late                                   time                                                                          Duration                                                                      Nuts/raceme 2.0(est)               1.5(est)                                   Raceme      dense                  med-                                       density                            dense                                      on tree                                                                       Raceme      medium      long       long                                       length                                                                        Husk color  137A                   138A                                       Husk thick- 3.2 mm      4.3 mm     4.4 mm                                     ness                                                                          % nut       12.1%       15.4%      16.4%                                      diameter                                                                      Hilum       med-small   small      large                                      endpoint                                                                      Pedicel     absent      absent     weak                                       shoulder                                                                      Dehiscence  both 2                 on-tree                                    (1-5)                              3                                          Splitting   off-tree 4  on-tree 1  on-tree                                    (1-5)                              2                                          ______________________________________                                    

    ______________________________________                                        NUTS                                                                          ______________________________________                                        Character    HV A16     Keauhou    Kau                                        ______________________________________                                        Nut Shape    oval       round      round                                      length/      1.04       0.98       0.99                                       breadth                                                                       Nut          24.97      25.55      25.00                                      diameter(mm)                                                                  Range(mm)    19-28      21-30      22-28                                      Std          1.27       1.46       1.37                                       deviation(mm)                                                                 Kernel       2.9-3.5    2.3-2.7    2.2-2.5                                    weight(mm)                                                                    % of Nut     44-47      34-38      32-34                                      Shell        smooth     mild-rough smooth                                     texture                                                                       Shell        medium     dull       dull                                       sheen                                                                         Shell        mod-slight slight     moderate                                   flecking                                                                      Micropyle    v-slight   obvious    v-slight                                   Shell        164A       165B       165B                                       colour                                                                        (dried)                                                                       Suture       darker     same       lighter                                    colour                                                                        ______________________________________                                        Character   Own Choice  Nutty Glen Renown                                     ______________________________________                                        Nut Shape   round       round      oval                                       length/     1.04        0.99       1.12                                       breadth                                                                       Nut         25.96       28.04      26.85                                      diameter(mm)                                                                  Range(mm)   21-30       23-34      23-30                                      Std         1.57        2.02       1.45                                       deviation(mm)                                                                 Kernel      2.5-2.7     4.0        3.2-3.6                                    weight(mm)                                                                    % of Nut    33-36       46-47      39-41                                      Shell       smooth      rough      rough                                      texture                                                                       Shell       dull        med-shiny  shiny                                      sheen                                                                         Shell       mod-heavy   mod-slight mod-heavy                                  flecking                                                                      Micropyle   v-slight    v-slight   v-slight                                   Shell       165A-B      165A-B     165B                                       colour                                                                        (dried)                                                                       Suture      same        same       lighter                                    colour                                                                        ______________________________________                                    

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct hybrid Macadamiaintegrifolia×tetraphylla named Hidden Valley A16 substantially as shownand described.